Dinosaur Extinction

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65 million years ago, the dinosaurs went extinct. Scientists believe that this was caused by an asteroid colliding with Earth. One major piece of evidence for this is a giant crater (150 km wide) that lies just off the Yucatan Peninsula, which could have been caused by the collision. There were high amounts of Iridium (a metal that is very rare on Earth’s surface but more common in asteroids) and fractured crystals found near the crater. Therefore, an asteroid impact caused the dinosaur extinction. According to PBS.org, the levels of Iridium found near the crater is 30 times higher than the average found in the KT layer. This could have been caused by bits of iridium breaking off from the asteroid when it collided with Earth. In addition, …show more content…

According to PSI.edu, this could have been caused by massive fires created by the impact. The same soil around the Gulf of Mexico contains massive amounts of tumbled boulders that could have been generated by a massive tsunami. In addition, the soil also contains pieces of quartz that were deformed by high shock pressures. These crystals would occur from a giant explosion, such as an asteroid impact. The soot, deformed crystals, and tumbled boulders could of all happened without an asteroid colliding with Earth, but it would be very unlikely. To conclude, these three pieces of evidence prove that an asteroid collided with Earth, killing the …show more content…

According to history.com and ucmp.berkeley.edu, the impact would have thrown tons of debris into the air. This debris would block out the sun, and cause the Earth to plummet into darkness. Without the sun, Earth’s surface temperature would go below freezing. Land plants and algal plankton would not be able to photosynthesize, which would kill them. The plant’s death would be the start of the end of the food chain. In addition, The earthquakes, volcanic eruption, and tsunamis triggered by the impact would help to speed up the dinosaur extinction. In conclusion, the debris thrown into the air, and the earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis would kill the dinosaurs if the explosion caused by the impact

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